Cooper's hawk • Accipiter cooperii

Left: adult Cooper's hawk photographed by Jody Wells. Right: this juvenile Cooper's hawk hit a window at the Hakai Institute on Calvert Island, but flew away apparently unharmed after a short recovery. Photo by Connie Handley.

IdentificationThis hawk, which reaches 51 cm long with a wingspan of nearly 1 m, has wide, rounded wings and a long, rounded tail. Adults have a dark blue-grey back and a dark crown, which contrast strongly against lighter undersides patterned with reddish-brown bars. Juveniles have less contrasting colouring, with a brown back and fine streaking on white or buff-brown undersides. The tail of both adults and juveniles bears wide dark bands and has a white tip. More detailed identification information can be found on the E-Fauna species page.

Habitat & RangeCooper's hawk inhabits treed areas, including forest edges, mature forest, woodlands, and suburbs, where it nests in coniferous or deciduous trees. It can also be found in more open habitats, such as grasslands and agricultural fields, and is even found in urban areas. It hunts in areas with dense vegetation cover, where it can track its prey by stealth. It breeds in areas of southern Canada, as well as much of the United States where it is a year-round resident. During the winter months it can also be found in Mexico and Central America. See the North America range map for detailed distribution throughout its range. Within BC Cooper's hawk is mostly found in the south and central interior of the province during the summer breeding months; the Central Coast is a bit north of its usual coastal range, which extends along Vancouver Island and the adjacent mainland.

Find more information at the British Columbia Breeding Bird Atlas here.

Intriguing InfoCooper's hawk preys on medium-sized birds, such as American robins, jays, northern flickers, and grouse, as well as small mammals and occasionally reptiles and insects. It catches its prey with its feet and squeezes it to death.